UP FRONT
Israel Abortion Fray
Joined By U.S. Groups
IRA RIFKIN
Special to The Jewish News
M
ore than a dozen pro-
choice American
Jewish organiza-
tions have become involved
in yet another issue that
divides Israel's secular Jew-
ish majority from its re-
ligious minority — the ques-
tion of abortion.
Led by the National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women, the
groups have signed a joint
statement opposing an
Israeli government-backed
bill that would greatly
reduce the access of Israeli
women to hospital-
performed abortions.
The statement grew out of
a Dec. 20 meeting in New
York organized by NCJW,
said Joan Bronk, that organ-
ization's national president.
"In any country whenever
abortion has been restricted,
the result has been a dra-
matic increase in the death
rate for women," the state-
ment said. "Women's lives
and health depend on the
continuing availability of a
full range of reproductive
Ira Rifkin is assistant editor of
the Baltimore Jewish Times.
health services. Working to
ensure this is a priority for
the American Jewish com-
munity, both men and wo-
men."
In addition to NCJW, the
organizations which have
endorsed the statement so
far are the American Jewish
Committee, American Jew-
ish Congress, Americans for
Progressive Israel, ARZA —
Association of Reform
Zionists of America, B'nai
B'rith Women, Federation of
A joint statement
opposes a bill in
the Knesset.
Reconstructionist Congrega-
tions and Havurot, and the
Jewish Labor Committee.
Also endorsing the state-
ment are Na'amat USA, Na-
tional Federation of Temple
Sisterhoods, the New Israel
Fund, United Synagogue of
America (Conservative),
Rabbinical Assembly (Con-
servative), Women's League
for Conservative Judaism
and the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations
(Reform).
Ms. Bronk said other
groups also are expected to
endorse the statement. In
Detroit, Jewish organiza-
tions which have been most
active in the pro-choice
movement are NCJW, the
Jewish Community Council
and New Jewish Agenda.
The proposed Israeli bill,
which is expected to reach
the Knesset floor for final
action within the next few
weeks, is the result of a po-
litical deal struck by the
Likud-led coalition govern-
ment and the ultra-religious
Agudat Yisrael party.
In return for Agudat's join-
ing — and thereby strength-
ening — the governing coali-
tion, Prime Minister Yit-
zhak Shamir's government
promised to back anti-
abortion legislation, as well
as other bills outlawing the
sale of pork, banning sexual-
ly explicit advertising and
halting public transporta-
tion on Shabbat.
More than two thirds of
Israel's population calls
itself secular, which in the
Israeli context means non-
Orthodox. By and large, ac-
cording to a spokeswoman at
Israel's Embassy in Wash-
ington, these secular Jews
favor liberal abortion laws.
The religious minority,
however, supports restric-
tive abortion legislation that
follows the guidelines set
forth by traditional Jewish
law.
David Zwiebel, a New
York attorney for Agudath
Israel of America (which is
organizationally distinct
from Israel's Agudat Yisrael
party, but shares its theolog-
ical perspective), said that
"the Orthodox interpreta-
tion of Jewish law on the
Continued on Page 13
ROUND UP
Hidden Children
Plan Gathering
New York — Children
saved from the Nazis during
the Holocaust are organizing
the first International
Gathering of Children
Hidden During World War
II, to be held May 26-27 in
New York.
Speakers will include
Israeli author Aharon Ap-
pelfeld and Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith Na-
tional Director Abraham
Foxman.
Anyone who was a child in
hiding during the war may
write for information to The
Hidden Child, 163 Amster-
dam Ave., Suite 219, New
York, N.Y. 10023.
El Paso Greets
Andy Cohen
El Paso, Tex. — Round up
those little doggies, cowboy,
and take 'em out there to the
stadium. Cohen Stadium,
that is.
Yes, it's true. The new
minor league ball park in El
Paso, Texas, has been named
the Cohen Stadium, in honor
of baseball legend Andy
Cohen.
For those who think Hank
Greenberg was the only Jew-
ish baseball star . . . here's
the scoop on Andy Cohen.
Mr. Cohen, a second
baseman with a .281 batting
average, played in 1926,
1928 and 1929 for the New
York Giants. He was
recruited specifically be-
cause of his religion; the
Giants hoped a Jewish star
would draw Jewish fans to
the ball park, much as Jew-
ish fighters had drawn them
to the boxing ring.
A native of Baltimore, Mr.
Cohen was raised in El Paso,
where he read Horatio Alger
books and biographies of
Babe Ruth. He began his ca-
reer with the Texas League's
Waco team.
After Mr. Cohen was
drafted in 1926 by the
Giants, the English-
language American Hebrew
wrote, "Baseball is the great
American sport, and as the
Jew is thoroughly Ameri-
canized there is no reason
why his (Cohen's) name
should not be prominently
found upon the baseball roll
of honor."
Mr. Cohen hit 14 home
runs and batted in 114 runs
during his career with the
Giants, but he never de-
veloped into "the Jewish
Babe Ruth," as many of his
supporters had hoped. After
his three seasons with the
Giants, he played in the
minors before going off to
fight in World War II.
After being discharged
from the military, Mr.
Cohen became part owner of
the El Paso team in the Mex-
ican Leagues, and later
served as coach for the
Philadelphia Phillies. He
died in 1988.
Mrs. Cohen's
At The Village
Greenfield Village is home
to many of the world's great
treasures — the Wright
Brothers' home, Thomas
Edison's studio and Mrs.
Cohen's hat shop.
Mrs. Cohen's hat shop?
Yes, one of the recreated
buildings, a hat shop, offers
free calling cards identifying
the millinery as Mrs. D.
Cohen's store. The "store" is
located at 444 Baker in
-
4
MRS; D. CO EN.
axr cans
MILLINERY.
The card from Mrs. Cohen's
millinery.
Detroit, on the northeast
corner of Baker and 20th.
Of course they can't be
purchased, but goods listed
on the store's card are ir-
resistible: gents' fur-
nishings, elegant line walk-
ing sticks (just arrived), fan-
cy flowers and women's
bonnets "unrivaled in style,
fit, workmanship."
Don't be surprised if you
feel yourself irrepressibly
drawn to the shop. The card
speaks of "the magnet which
is causing the Tidal Wave of
humanity to trade" with
Mrs. Cohen.
Soviet Exhibit
Seeks Sponsors
Organizers of a photogra-
phy exhibit tracing the
modern history of Soviet
Jewry are seeking Jewish
organizations and groups to
help host the traveling
display in the United States.
The exhibit, which is being
coordinated by the Con-
gregation of Jewish Re-
ligious Communities in the
Soviet Union, will include
some 200 photos, films,
slides, lectures and con-
ferences. It will open in late
1991.
For information, write:
Exhibition, 109649, USSR,
Moscow, Kapotnya 5, Post
Box 6.
Compiled by
Elizabeth Applebaum
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 11